Hi all…I’m not so good in writing posts (I promise to improve!) so I hope to don’t bother you that much but I would like to share what I bring with me in Italy after the Connect Live 2019.
I came to this meeting feeling a bit like an outsider because I have never been very active on Connect or in the meet ups held in my country. I met many Local Guides that carry out an excellent job driven by the passion for the improvement of a tool, Google Maps, which I never understood to be really important as in this meeting.
I am not a person of many words and I believe that many of you have not had many exchanges with me but this is due to my nature which is quite reserved. But I found people who first spoke to me and people who made me understand how much it is necessary to get out of our comfort zone to live fully every single day of their own ( @ChinonsoOnukwugha a big thank you because your “challenges” helped me so much in this, even if sometimes you didn’t noted it).
I work every day with people from all over the world, customers and colleagues as the company I work for has many subsidiaries around the world, but I’ve never managed to bring home so many interesting stories because maybe I never stopped to try to learn more about the people I dealt with. During this meeting I learned that being a Local Guide does not only mean contributing to Google Maps but in a continuous exchange of experiences that can lead us to be closer and closer together despite having thousands of kilometers between us. I really learned how to be myself.
I returned to Italy with the desire to continue to contribute, but on a totally different level than the one with which I contributed until today. I really want to be part of this special network that works to literally improve the lives of many people.
I found it really fantastic as it was done in collaboration with Google by @Mayford and @SanyaOdare . You guys have managed to change the impact that Google Maps has on your city in such a short time … simply unbelievable … it was a way for you to better understand what is around you and at the same time improve the life of your fellow citizens and those visiting your city.
I learned from @TorM and from his great ethics how to improve the impact of my reviews and especially of the images that I will decide to post in the future on Google Maps.
I learned fro this experience how to improve the quality of my reviews and for sure I will do it.
Unfortunately I don’t have a good memory for the names but every time I talked even for a few minutes with some of you I felt a little richer. Really.
@brittym and @TraciC I think you don’t know much about me if not my statistics as a Local Guide but I learned about you. Without your passion it would have been impossible to organize an event with so many variables and not really leave anything to chance. You have managed to turn this event into a “family reunion” and this cannot be done unless you really believe in what you are doing.
You are doing a great job and your example also pushes me to become an increasingly active and impactful Local Guide. I can only say thank you for the opportunity I had to experience an event like this.
@EmekaUlor and all the One Accessibility team:there are things I have always taken for granted because they have never had a strong impact on my life. After the presentation of @Sashabg and after the Accessibility walk of FridayI realized that things are not so obvious and that in reviewing a place it is also necessary to use someone else’s point of view and then the impact of our review can only be positively helpful to more people.
At all the Local Guides that have shared this meeting: you are great! I found examples to follow in many of you.
A special thanks to the Italian Team:I didn’t know you personally before meeting you in San Jose but I found people full of passion and I will do my best to effectively contribute to the activities related to Google Maps. Thanks to everyone and especially to @ErmesT who unfortunately sometimes finds himself answering my “outsider” questions!
I hope to have another opportunity to share time with you all!!! Keep our contributions at a high level and get in touch!!!
